Bucket-chain for water elevators and purifiers



No. 622,896. Patented Apr. 1|, I899. F. J. KUNY.

BUCKET CHAIN FOR WATER ELEVATORS AND PURIFIERS.

(Application filed Sept 27' (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

FREDERICK J. KUNY, OF MOUND CITY, ILLINOIS.

BUCKET- CHAIN FOR WATER ELEVATORS AND PURIFIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 622,896, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filedSeptember 27, 1898. Serial No. 692,041. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. KUNY, of

Mound City, Pulaski county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bucket-Chains for lVater Elevators and Purifiers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. 7 My invention relates to bucket-chains for water elevators and purifiers; and it consists of'the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of aportion of my improved bucket-chain for water elevators and purifiers. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the section seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing a plurality of the buckets or cups of the chain nested for storage or transportation. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one form ofthe sprocket-links I make use of in carrying out myinvention. Fig. 5 is aplan view of another form of the sprocket-links. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the buckets and showing the first operation necessary to remove the sprocket-link from the bucket. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of one of the buckets, showing the second operation necessary to remove the sprocket-link.

In the construction of my improved bucketchain the buckets or cups 1 are formed in the usual manner of sheet metal and provided on the side edges of their rear faces with the extended ears or flanges 2, which are bent around the parallel side portions of the bucketlink 3. This bucket-link is constructed of a single length of wire and has its ends, which.

project above the flanges 2, formed into loops 4. The portions of the sides of the bucketlink 3 that extend, below the cups 1 are formed into upwardly-turned hooks 5, and immediately above said hooks 5 the Wire is bent outwardly in each direction a slight distance past the sides of the link, thus forming the projecting ears or loops 6. The central portion of the wire of which these links are formed extends laterally across the lower rear side of the cup and connects these ears 6. j

The sprocket-links 7 are each constructed of a single length of suitable wire bent into rectangular form, and the laterally-bent ends 8 of the length of wire forming the lower bar of each link are bent upwardly at theirpoint of contact in order to stiffen said link when strain is applied thereto. the sprocket-link is bent laterally on either a single or compound curve, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, thus throwing a portion of said top bar to one side of the plane occupied by the body of the link, and thus providing means for retaining said link in the hook of the bucketlink while said links are together and in a working position.

Very often in elevators and purifiers it is found necessary to remove or introduce an extra cup or cups and the links therefoiyand where a bucket-chain of my improved construction is made use of this operation can be expeditiously accomplished without the use of any tools whatever. To open the chain for the removal or introduction of an extra cup, the operator swings one of the sprocket-links into a horizontal plane and by so doing brings the bends in the top bar 9 into parallel alinement with the rear side of the cup and the vertical portion of the hooks 5. The sprocketlink thus thrown into horizontal position is now moved vertically a short distance, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, or until the bent portion of the top bar 9 is free from the hooks 5. Said sprocket-link is nowswunginto a vertical position relative the bucket from the hooks of which the sprocket-link has just been removed, and the lower end of said sprocket-link is now swung laterally relative the bucket, as shown in Fig. 7, or until the side portions of said sprocket-link will pass the projecting ears of loops 6. Thus the bucket-chain is separated and a section can be removed therefrom or a new section placed therein. A reversal of the movements just described will reunite the chain, and when said chain is properly con nected and in a work: ing position it cannot become disconnected. The lateral bends in the top bar 9 of the link prevent said link from accidentally becoming removed from the hooks 5, and the laterallyprojecting ears orloops 6 prevent the sprocketlinks '7 from swinging too far around upon the hooks 5 when the chain is passing over sprocket-wheel.

When it is desired to pack the chain for storage or transportation, the sprocket-links The top bar 9 of p are swung rearwardly and upwardly relative the cups, and this movement brings all of said cups into the same plane, with the sprocketlinks passing diagonally across the sides thereof.

A bucket-chain constructed in accordance with the foregoing description is simple,

the lower end of each of the bucket-links,-

and sprocket-links connecting the loops of one of the bucket-links with the hooks of the next adjacent bucket-link, substantially as specified.

2. A bucket-chain, constructed with a plurality of sheet-metal buckets, bucket-links secured to the rear sides thereof, the upper ends of which bucket-links are formed into loops and the lower ends of said bucket-links being formed into hooks and there being laterally-projecting ears formed in said bucketlinks on each side of the lower end thereof, and sprocket-links having one end engaged in the loops of each of the bucket-links, the opposite end of said sprocket-link being seated in the hook end of the bucket-link and there being lateral bends formed in the top bar of each of the sprocket-links, substantially as specified.

3; The combination with an elevator-bucket having extended flanges on the edges of its rear side, ofa link arranged upon the rear side of the bucket and being engaged by the flanges thereof, loops formed integral with one end of said link, and hooks having laterally-projecting ears formed at the end of the link opposite from the loops, substantially as specified.

4. In a bucket-chain, a link constructed from a single length of wire, the meeting ends of said link being bent upwardly to the point of contact and there being lateral bends formed in the top bar of said link, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. KUNY.-

Witnesses:

W. T. RAEFSNYDER, J W. DONALDSON. 

